New York Times reports that FCC Commissioner Michael Copps wants to do a real life DTV-test run. That is: to shut down analog signals and broadcast in digital only. Copps suggests this should be possible to do in some test-markets. Among sources reporting about this is: AP, Boston Herald, Mercury News, MSNBC and Washington Post among many many others.
I think it is a great idea. The US follows in the steps of most European countries that is or already have completed a national or semi-national transition to DTV. In most countries the transition is made in phases. Why the U.S. didn’t choose that path is a mystery.
The U.S challenge? To pick the right market for this test run.
Or is it a test? A test suggests that you switch Off the analog signals and then On again. I think that is hard. I believe that you turn off the signal and then you continue in digital only until the real transition day. Because if you re to turn on the analog signals again, few consumers would bother to get the equipment. Why? Because consumers tend to wait as much as possible to change. And also, would they, consumers, really believe that the TV signal would be shut down? In Sweden’s very first phase a majority of consumers didn’t really believe that the analog TV-signal were going to be shut down. People said -” can you really do that?”.
But when the signal was down it also sent a different message, but even more important, to the audience in the whole country: The transition to DTV will take place.
That kind of “consumer awareness” is something that the U.S. is in need of with less than a year left to the national transition.
You can read the letter from Mr Copps to FCC Chairman Martin here: Letter from Comm. M. Copps. And the reply to Commissioner Copps here: Letter from Chrm. Martin
So, stay tuned when and were a test run will take place. Bets are taken, clock is ticking..
Anders Bjers
dtvbrief.wordpress.com 
I agree that doing it in a test market would be a great idea. If they did this is would get the word out in a major way. It has recently been reported that a lot of people know that the digital transition is coming but that they do not understand who will be affected and who will not be affected. A test run like the one suggested above would help get the word out better about who needs to act to keep watching TV after the transition.
I think that a test run would be great. It would make big news and help make more people aware about who will be affected by the transition. It has been reported that most people know the digital transition is coming but that they do not know who will be affected by it and who will not.